Bacon, sausage, and ham are once again being singled out as key culprits driving the association between meat consumption and the world's most common diseases.
One of the largest studies to address this question, published online March 7, 2013 in BMC Medicine, found a moderate positive association between processed meat consumption and mortality. This was particularly true for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but was also true for cancer.
Over a mean of 12 years, high consumption of processed meat was associated with a near doubling of the risk for all-cause mortality in adults, compared with low consumption. The risk for cancer death was 43% higher and the risk for cardiovascular death was 70% higher in people eating more than 160 g/day of processed meats than in those eating 10.0 to 19.9 g/day.
"The clinical message [is] to limit consumption of processed meat — not every day and not in high amounts," said lead author Sabine Rohrmann, PhD, MPH, head of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, in an interview.
EPIC data
The new data come from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, which involved 10 countries and almost half a million men and women.
A signal of increased mortality was seen in the highest consumers of red meat in general; however, the risk was much lower with red meat than with processed meats, and lost statistical significance after correction for measurement error, the researchers report. In fact, the high consumption of processed meat was associated with an 18% increased risk for all-cause mortality.
A very high consumption of red meat was nonsignificantly associated with increased cancer mortality, but not with deaths caused by CVD or respiratory diseases, diseases of the digestive tract, or any other disease.
As the researchers point out, processed meats tend to contain more saturated fat than unprocessed meat (where the fat is often trimmed off) and more cholesterol and additives (which are part of the smoking or curing process). Some of these are believed to be carcinogenic or precursors to carcinogenic processes.
"Another factor is the salt in processed meat products, which is linked to hypertension — a CVD risk factor," noted Dr. Rohrmann. Heme iron also links meat consumption to CVD risk, "but that's not limited to processed meat," she explained.
Dr. Rohrmann and colleagues point out that the high consumption of processed meat typically goes hand in hand with other unhealthy behaviors, including smoking, low levels of physical activity, and low consumption of fruit and vegetables.
"Overall, we estimate that 3% of premature deaths each year could be prevented if people ate less than 20 g of processed meat per day," she said in a press statement.
What About Red Meat?
Other studies have singled out processed meats as being particularly hazardous to health. Two large long-running American studies have documented the link between meat consumption and CVD and cancer deaths. However, the stronger association with processed meats that Dr. Rohrmann and colleagues found in their European cohort is somewhat at odds with the American data.
A number of studies have examined the link between meat consumption and cancer. For example, one large prospective trial linked the consumption of processed meat to an increased risk for bladder cancer. Another study found that the consumption of red and processed meats increases the risk for colorectal cancer.
"Although we did not find a statistically significant association between unprocessed red meat consumption and mortality in our studies, we would not say that there is definitely no association" between red meat consumption and CVD, Dr. Rohrmann explained.
"Our studies show it that it's okay to eat a moderate amount of meat (300 to 600 g per week), as recommended by many nutrition societies," she said. However, "a balanced vegetarian diet is okay as well," she added.
The consumption of poultry was not related to all-cause mortality.
SOURCE: MEDSCAPE.
One of the largest studies to address this question, published online March 7, 2013 in BMC Medicine, found a moderate positive association between processed meat consumption and mortality. This was particularly true for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but was also true for cancer.
Over a mean of 12 years, high consumption of processed meat was associated with a near doubling of the risk for all-cause mortality in adults, compared with low consumption. The risk for cancer death was 43% higher and the risk for cardiovascular death was 70% higher in people eating more than 160 g/day of processed meats than in those eating 10.0 to 19.9 g/day.
"The clinical message [is] to limit consumption of processed meat — not every day and not in high amounts," said lead author Sabine Rohrmann, PhD, MPH, head of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, in an interview.
EPIC data
The new data come from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, which involved 10 countries and almost half a million men and women.
A signal of increased mortality was seen in the highest consumers of red meat in general; however, the risk was much lower with red meat than with processed meats, and lost statistical significance after correction for measurement error, the researchers report. In fact, the high consumption of processed meat was associated with an 18% increased risk for all-cause mortality.
A very high consumption of red meat was nonsignificantly associated with increased cancer mortality, but not with deaths caused by CVD or respiratory diseases, diseases of the digestive tract, or any other disease.
As the researchers point out, processed meats tend to contain more saturated fat than unprocessed meat (where the fat is often trimmed off) and more cholesterol and additives (which are part of the smoking or curing process). Some of these are believed to be carcinogenic or precursors to carcinogenic processes.
"Another factor is the salt in processed meat products, which is linked to hypertension — a CVD risk factor," noted Dr. Rohrmann. Heme iron also links meat consumption to CVD risk, "but that's not limited to processed meat," she explained.
Dr. Rohrmann and colleagues point out that the high consumption of processed meat typically goes hand in hand with other unhealthy behaviors, including smoking, low levels of physical activity, and low consumption of fruit and vegetables.
"Overall, we estimate that 3% of premature deaths each year could be prevented if people ate less than 20 g of processed meat per day," she said in a press statement.
What About Red Meat?
Other studies have singled out processed meats as being particularly hazardous to health. Two large long-running American studies have documented the link between meat consumption and CVD and cancer deaths. However, the stronger association with processed meats that Dr. Rohrmann and colleagues found in their European cohort is somewhat at odds with the American data.
A number of studies have examined the link between meat consumption and cancer. For example, one large prospective trial linked the consumption of processed meat to an increased risk for bladder cancer. Another study found that the consumption of red and processed meats increases the risk for colorectal cancer.
"Although we did not find a statistically significant association between unprocessed red meat consumption and mortality in our studies, we would not say that there is definitely no association" between red meat consumption and CVD, Dr. Rohrmann explained.
"Our studies show it that it's okay to eat a moderate amount of meat (300 to 600 g per week), as recommended by many nutrition societies," she said. However, "a balanced vegetarian diet is okay as well," she added.
The consumption of poultry was not related to all-cause mortality.
SOURCE: MEDSCAPE.
No comments:
Post a Comment